Castleford 28, Wigan 42

Australian three-quarter Paul Mellor's first hat-trick in England was all in vain as Challenge Cup finalists Wigan held off a terrific performance by bottom-of-the-table Castleford in an end-to-end Tetley's Super League clash at the Jungle.

Australian three-quarter Paul Mellor's first hat-trick in England was all in vain as Challenge Cup finalists Wigan held off a terrific performance by bottom-of-the-table Castleford in an end-to-end Tetley's Super League clash at the Jungle.

Mellor, who scored three tries in his previous 21 games for the Tigers, doubled his tally as the Tigers belied their perilous League position to give Wigan the fright of their lives.

The win-less and patched-up Tigers, who were without eight of their senior squad through injury, twice fought back to level the scores and twice went in front before bowing to the Warriors' greater finishing power.

While Wigan lifted themselves into the top six for the first time this year, Castleford were left licking the wounds of a ninth successive defeat but on this performance they can have few worries over relegation.

The Warriors' hero was hooker Terry Newton, who scored two tries and went within an inch of a second successive hat-trick, but the visitors were also indebted to skilful scrumhalf Adrian Lam, who rolled back the years with a superb performance.

Wigan's pacy Australian winger Brett Dallas crossed the Castleford line when he intercepted Ryan Hudson's pass and raced 70 metres for the opening try. But the Tigers, who gave debuts to winger Michael Shenton and prop forward Byron Smith and a first start to scrum-half Dominic Brambani, produced some delightful football in which hooker Wayne Godwin was particularly prominent.

They hit back when Mellor marked his first home appearance of the season by collecting Francis Maloney's kick to the corner for his first try since last August and he would have had a second but for a terrific last-ditch tackle by Wigan full-back Kris Radlinski.

Godwin levelled the scores with the conversion and edged his side in front with an 18th-minute penalty.

As the game swung from end to end, the prolific Dallas claimed his second try - his eighth in the last four games.

But the Tigers were full of fight and they turned the six-point deficit into a four-point lead in the space of eight glorious minutes. Mellor outjumped Williams for his second try and substitute forward Jamie Thackray fended off Stephen Wild's attempted tackle to plough his way to the line.

Mellor kept the game well and truly alive when he leapt high above Brown to complete his hat-trick.

But Wigan were in the ascendancy by then and late tries from prop Craig Smith and Radlinski gave them a flattering margin of victory.